Forest Dreams
by DarkSaiph
Summary: Lenore has strange dreams of running through a forest, searching for something, but she has no clue what. In life she searches for the truth about her father. Will Lenore find what she's been looking for in Middle Earth?
1. Lenore

htmliRunning. Always running. Trees were a green blur as she passed them. Searching. She looked at the woods quickly, always searching; never finding. The only sounds were that of her own breathing, the thud of her feet on the soggy leaves on the ground, and, seemingly even louder, her heart beating wildly. She got the impression that she was running in circles, but she did not stop, she continued on restlessly. Now running straight, her heart beat even more quickly... this was it... she was going to find what she had been looking for.../i  
  
Lenore woke up with a gasp. Sweat drenched her and the knotted sheets. The late afternoon sun shined brightly through her window and glared off her small alarm clock. Lenore looked at it and groaned. It was 5:00; her mother would be home soon. She had not meant to drift off into sleep; she was only going to read for a few minutes... She sat up and then slowly stood. She still had to make dinner, and, glancing at her now sweaty clothes, would have to change, too. In her bathroom she wet a small washcloth and wiped it across her forehead, the coldness refreshing. It was always the same dream, running through the woods, searching, almost finding, and then waking up to in a clammy sweat. The girl shook her head slightly as a brief image of the forest came to mind and walked slowly down the stares. She paused at the mirror in the hall, studying her reflection. Piercing icy blue eyes and a grim set mouth were partly covered by her ebony hair that hung limply down to her mid-back, contrasting with her fair skin. Overall, she was a tall and lanky 15 year old who looked closer to the age of 13, despite her height. So different from her mother and brother... It was strange, Elena, her mother, claimed it she got her looks from her father, who had died when she was two. Questions about him were avoided, and she had never found pictures. And how could she have gotten all her looks from him? She didn't share any of the rest of her family's characteristics. People even questioned whether she was actually part of the same family, and she didn't blame them -- even she did./html


	2. Late Night

htmlLenore had just finished taking out leftovers from the fridge and making it look like it was not leftovers and had been sitting there getting cold when her mother drove up.  She opened the door and greeted Elena and Andy, her older brother.  When they steeped up next to her, it was evident how much taller she was.  Her mother stood about six inches shorter than her and her brother five, even if he was older.   Lenore took her usual place looking out the window, while Elena sat across from her and Andy sat to the right.

"How was your day at school?" Her mother looked flustered.

"I didn't have school today, remember?" Lenore, if possible, looked even more uncomfortable.  It was always the same: She would say that school went fine, even if it didn't, or on days when she was out of school, she would remind her mother of this.  Then, they would continue eating in silence except for some small talk between Elena and her son.  Tension would remain in the air until Lenore excused herself.

Tonight was no exemption; she could almost hear her mother's sigh of relief as she headed up the stairs. Hot tears began to run down her face as she ran up to her room.  Why didn't she fit in?  Why couldn't she talk to Elena as Andy did? Even now she could hear their laughter.  

She flung herself on her bed, seeking the refuge of sleep.

Once again, she woke up with a gasp.  She had gotten closer this time, closer to whatever it was she searched for in her dreams.  It was still dark outside and she could only hope that it wasn't too early.  When she looked at her clock it was flashing 0:00.  It figured.  She got up groggily to go check the clock at the end of the hall.  Suddenly, Lenore got the urge to check in the old family albums for clues to her father.  There had to be ione/i picture of her father; it didn't make sense for there not to be.   

She waved her hand back in forth in the air to keep the dust that had begun to fall when she opened the trap door to the attic away from her face.  She climbed slowly up the latter.  When she reached the top she turned on the light.  

At this point she was glad that Andy and Elena were such sound sleepers.  They wouldn't notice all the noise.  She glanced around the room until she saw a box she had never seen before.  Curious, she went towards it and slowly lifted the lid.  Inside she found pictures of a woman, definitely not her mother, but obviously related.  

iThat's strange… Elena's never mentioned a sister…/i - she thought.

Inquisitive, she continued to dig through the box. She found more pictures (some of the strange woman and Elena) and some old letters.  She didn't read more than a couple, not wanting to be too impolite.  None of them really gave her any clues – they weren't even signed, but Lenore felt sure that they had to be from Her. Soon she reached the bottom of the box, and all that was left was a small envelope.  She opened it, and inside laid a small ring.  It was hematite with small bits of marcasite around it in equal intervals.  She was about to put it back, but she stopped… Elena probably didn't even know it was there… No, she told herself firmly, she should put it back.  Her hand moved towards the envelope again but than drew back.  She shoved it into her pocket. /html


End file.
